New appointments to strengthen training sector

The State Government today announced the new TAFE College Governing Councils and interim Managing Directors appointed to oversee the reform of Western Australia's public training sector.

Deputy Premier and Training and Workforce Development Minister Liza Harvey said the appointments were a key milestone in implementing WA's new TAFE structure, which would ensure a robust training sector into the future.

"The governing councils and interim managing directors have been appointed for each of the five TAFE colleges, with each appointee bringing with them extensive knowledge of the State's vocational education and training sector," Mrs Harvey said.

The Minister said the 70 campuses would be managed by five TAFE colleges under the reform project.

"Membership for governing councils, in regional areas in particular, has ensured each council includes representation from the whole region," she said.

Mrs Harvey said the governing councils and interim managing directors would now work with the Department of Training and Workforce Development to determine the most appropriate locations for administrative staff and how best to collaborate to offer enhanced training for students.

"Colleges will work closely together to ensure more co-ordinated delivery of training programs across the TAFE system, giving students access to a broader range of courses and higher quality training," she said.

"This will lead to improved links between regional and metropolitan colleges and will allow resources and expertise to be shared across the State."

The Minister said streamlining the administrative functions of the TAFE colleges would create a more effective and sustainable training system.

"Lecturing positions will be unaffected by the new structure, and enrolled students will have no change to their training as the current campuses will not change either in their location or course delivery," she said.

"TAFE colleges are a significant cornerstone of WA's vocational education and training system, and these changes will ensure this position is maintained and enhanced into the future."

Fact File

The reform project found WA had six of the eight smallest TAFE colleges in Australia

The chairs of the new governing councils and interim managing directors is below